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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27702113">BULLYING</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/OminousPredictions/pseuds/OminousPredictions'>OminousPredictions</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>CONSEQUENCES [7]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Miraculous Ladybug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Evil Lila Rossi, Game of Thrones References, Lila Rossi Bashing, Lila Rossi's Lies Are Exposed, Star Wars References</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 07:02:00</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,894</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27702113</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/OminousPredictions/pseuds/OminousPredictions</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In many salt fics, Lila incites her classmates to bully Marinette for supposedly doing the same to her. But that's not what they're like at all. They're good, kind and smart people who would not take it upon themselves to hurt anyone. So here's what I think they would do.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Seventh in the CONSEQUENCES series.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>CONSEQUENCES [7]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1830691</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>46</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>702</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>BULLYING</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lila Rossi was not a nice person. Not at all. Nice people did not enjoy lying, she loved it. Nice people avoided hurting people, she enjoyed it. And nice people didn’t like manipulation, she relished it. And she especially relished it when all three worked together. In the schools she’d been to in the past, it always went the same way. She would arrive and begin spinning yarns to draw in everybody, making fabulous claims and boasting connections she didn’t actually have. She didn’t care if they believed her or not, only that they listened. And in all of them there had been that one person who’d not been fooled, who’d seen her stories for what they were and tried to open their friends’ eyes. And that was when she swooped; suddenly that one person would find themselves on the receiving end of endless claims of harassment and bullying towards Lila, as well as the sudden reveal of their “true” character as a cruel, jealous manipulator and bully. “Evidence” of this would include fake bruises on Lila, ruined schoolwork, stolen possessions turning up in their bag or locker. It gave her a thrill to put the leads on her mob and then unleash them on their former friend. A few words here, another few there and they would be the ones to retaliate………… as well as the ones who would get all the blame once Lila was safely away to wherever her parents were stationed next, leaving behind wrecked friendships and broken trusts. She loved that, she lived for it…………. and she was especially enjoying this one.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Next to Ladybug, the person she hated the most. So sweet, so kind, so selfless. It disgusted her. After the little Chameleon incident she’d decided to go at her full force, like never before, maybe even to the extent that she would kill herself. Lila had nearly caused that with Frederick, a boy in Germany who’d seen through her lies and tried to slit his wrists after months of bullying and only survived because his cousin Hugo had gotten there in the nick of time. The idea that she’d nearly caused someone’s death had given Lila a rush like she’d never felt before, as she realised she had the power over someone’s life, that she could twist things until someone felt such despair that it motivated them to kill themselves. And that thrilled her, made her realise that she was essentially a goddess. So this time, she wasn’t simply content to take everything Marinette held dear; she wanted her life. And the rate things were going, she was likely to have it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Marinette’s faith in her friends had been rewarded with all of them to a man dumping her in favour of Lila. That was sweet enough in itself, but Lila stirred the pot by intimating to them that Marinette was making her life miserable and they should retaliate. The brainless drones had lapped it up instantly and Lila watched in vicious glee as Marinette’s oh-so-loyal-and-precious friends tormented and tortured her. Kim would trip her up, Alix would crash into her on her skates, Alya would spill coffee on her homework. Marinette was coming to school increasingly covered in bruises, limping or even bleeding in a few cases. One of her most fondly remembered ones was getting them to destroy Marinette’s sketchbook after hinting that they were actually her own stolen designs and that she’d rather see them destroyed than used by such a nasty, thieving person. Marinette had been in tears for that one and sobbed in the bathroom for an hour, Lila listening the whole time and recording it for future listening purposes. But now she was really gearing up, because her mother had hinted they’d be moving again soon and she was determined to ensure that the headline when she left was “Local Girl Kills Herself After Being Bullied At School.” Exactly how she was going to do that, she hadn’t yet figured out. Maybe she’d pretend to have been pushed down the stairs and get someone to do the same to Marinette; a fall down those metal stairs could do some real damage, she thought vindictively. </p>
<p>She entered the classroom, noting with satisfaction the sight of Marinette sitting alone, despondently looking over a notebook and not even bothering to acknowledge Lila as she passed. The moment Lila had sat down, everyone swarmed to her as per usual, eager to hear her latest tales. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Hello, Lila.”, Alya said. “How was the weekend for my BFF?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The question was asked loudly enough to carry to the front and Lila smirked to see Marinette’s shoulders slump as she heard it. Then she affected her performance.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Guys, something’s come up at home.”, she said. “I think I might be moving away.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>In covering her face with her hands to hide her lack of tears, Lila missed Marinette’s head shooting up eagerly at the sound of that. Everyone quickly began to comfort her.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Oh, that’s just so sad!”, Rose exclaimed. “We’ll miss you!”</p>
<p>“I should be used to it by now.”, Lila sniffled, dabbing at her eyes. “Moving just as I’m settled in, leaving behind such wonderful and valued friends.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>A tiny cough of skepticism issued from Adrien, who was sitting on his own as well, but Lila didn’t hear it. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“We’re sorry to hear that.”, Alya said. “I’ll miss my BFF, but we can still video-chat.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Lila did not plan for that to happen; it was imperative that she cut off all contact and ties with them once she was gone from Paris, because once she was gone it wouldn’t take them long to figure out she’d been lying all this time. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’d like that, Alya.”, she said. “You’ve all made me feel so welcome, so wanted, so loved. All of you, except for………..”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She trailed off, glancing meaningfully in Marinette’s direction. They took the hint.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Seriously, girl?”, Alya asked in an annoyed, long-suffering voice. “What have you done now? Why do you keep hurting Lila when she does nothing to you?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Marinette remained silent; she had long since given up trying to fight back or defend herself against whatever allegations came her way. If she hoped that would make Lila back off, she was wrong. If anything, it only made her look more guilty by refusing to deny it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Tell us what she did, Lila.”, Kim said, an ugly look on his face. “Tell us and we’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Marinette got to her feet and left the room, muttering something to Adrien about needing to use the bathroom. Lila wanted to go after her, to gloat and sneer and inflict pain on her, but knew that as gullible as the class were, they’d connect the dots if Lila and Marinette left the classroom and Marinette returned with bruises. She couldn’t have anything that connected her to Marinette’s hurt, so she turned to sweet, gullible, trusting and always reliable Alya.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“S-S-She……….. p-pushed me down the stairs.”, she said, dissolving into fresh sobs.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Noises of outrage made her smirk behind her hands, followed by the sound of stomping feet.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Alya?”, Nino’s voice asked. “Where are you going?”</p>
<p>“To have a word with Marinette.”, Alya replied. “Nobody pushes my BFF down the stairs and gets away with it.”</p>
<p>“Please, Alya, be careful!”, Lila called after her. “She might hurt you as well!”</p>
<p>“Fat chance.”, Alya snarled.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Lila smirked even more cruelly; Alya was probably going to go and beat up Marinette in response and take all the blame if she was caught, since Lila hadn’t actually told her to do it. A win-win if ever there was one. Sure enough, Alya returned ten minutes later and Marinette limped in five minutes after her, bruised and bleeding which she brushed off to a concerned Ms. Bustier as her having “fallen down the stairs again.” Lila smirked cruelly as she watched, unaware of the forces moving against her. Lila went home for lunch, plotting more vengeance against Marinette, and was surprised by a call from Alya halfway through.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Lila, it’s me.”, she said. “I’ve had a talk with the others and we’ve agreed that my little retribution against Marinette this morning wasn’t quite proportionate to what she did to you, so we planned a little something else to take place in the school auditorium. Can you meet us there when you get back to school?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>A truly evil smirk crossed Lila’s face as she listened to this.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Of course, Alya. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”, she said before terminating the call. “I wouldn’t miss this for the world.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>And she really wouldn’t. Abandoning what remained of her lunch, she gathered her things and left the apartment at top speed, practically flying back to school as her cruel mind conjured up scenes of what she might (and hoped to) see. By the time she’d approached the doors to the auditorium she was almost flying, and struggled not to look too excited as she opened them and stepped inside. It was surprisingly dark inside, only the stage illuminated. Marinette knelt in a pool of light, her head bowed, surrounded by her classmates and former friends. Lila hurried down the aisle towards them.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Hello, guys.”, she said. “Am I late? Did I miss it?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She was surprised to see a few of them shoot disgusted looks at her, but brushed it aside as Alya stepped forwards. Behind her, Max stood ready by the podium where Mr. Damocles usually made announcements.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“No, you’re just in time.”, Alya said. “We’ve decided it’s time to finish it, to end this. By exposing the vicious bully for who she truly is, a lying, deceitful, cruel and jealous snake who hides herself behind a sweet and likeable facade.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She was saying it in a loud and carrying voice, like she was announcing it to the world, and Lila thought she heard whisperings and shufflings in the dark rows of seats behind her and half-turned to look.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I speak, of course, of the person on the stage with us.”, Alya went on. “I speak…………. Of YOU!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Lila turned back and was caught in the most complete surprise to see Alya pointing, not at Marinette, but at her. Furthermore, Marinette had risen to her feet and was standing straight-backed with her head held high. Gone too was the defeated expression she’d been wearing for the most part, replaced instead with a look of cold resolve. Her blue eyes, dulled by despair, were now blazing with fury and triumph and Lila actually shrank as they were turned on her.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“M-Me?”, Lila stammered. “I don’t know what you mean!”</p>
<p>“Really?”, said a familiar voice. “Let’s refresh your memory, then.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Adrien strode onto the stage, passing her with a look of absolute hatred and contempt as he went to stand beside Marinette.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“For all your claims of wanting to make peace with Marinette, you kept accusing her of bullying you.”, he said. “Lies, aimed at destroying her reputation and standing amongst this school and her friends. Bad enough, this is, without what else you tried to do. Rather than get your own hands dirty, you attempted to incite her friends into committing acts of violence, intimidation and property destruction against her.”<br/>
Lila looked around at the others for help, but they were all glaring at her in absolute hatred, revulsion and rage. She would find no help from them…………… but then, she didn’t need it. She was leaving soon and she had diplomatic immunity and, even if those two things weren’t enough, they were the ones who’d actually done the bullying; all she’d done was whisper a few words into their ears and they’d taken the bait immediately, leaving her with a rock-solid defence. But why not humour them?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“But I didn’t actually do anything to her.”, she said in a gloating voice. “Tripping her up, assaulting her, spilling stuff on her, destroying her schoolwork and sketchbook, that was all you guys. I didn’t do anything.”</p>
<p>“Au contraire.”, Adrien replied. “Every time that happened, it was because you’d dripped poison in their ears. Saying things like Marinette had pushed you or stolen your work or threatened you, then inciting them to do the same to Marinette in retribution for her supposed crimes. You tried to get her friends to hurt her.”</p>
<p>“What do you mean, tried?”, Lila sneered. “All I had to do was fake some bruises, shed a few false tears and I had them lapping it up. They actually seemed eager to do to Marinette whatever I said she’d done to me. Some friends! If anything, I helped her by showing her what gullible little psychos she had for friends.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>There were shocked gasps from behind her, but she didn’t notice. Adrien’s eyes narrowed in the utmost loathing.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Regardless, it was all you.”, he said. “You, spreading your lies, weaving your web to draw them in and then twitch those threads to make them dance to your tune.”</p>
<p>“Guilty as charged.”, Lila proclaimed proudly.</p>
<p>“And you don’t regret any of it?”, Adrien asked. “You don’t regret or even stop to think about the fact that you turned the friends of one of the sweetest girls in existence against her and made them bully her almost to death?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Lila laughed, a cruel and insane one.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Regret it?”, she snorted. “I relished it! I lived for it! Every single day I wanted to see just how far I could make you go, how much I could push you into doing to your oh-so-precious ‘Everyday Ladybug’. And you all obliged me so wonderfully. Better than any other group of pathetic morons I’ve strung along in the past.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>They all started in surprise.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“In the past?”, Marinette asked. “So you’ve done this to others?”</p>
<p>“What? Did you think you were the first?”, Lila asked mockingly. “Of course not, you aren’t even that special. I’ve done this in every school I’ve ever been to because there was always one like you, a self-righteous, opinionated, meddling goody-goody who just couldn’t step aside and let me string their friends along as my devoted slaves. The first time it was to defend myself and my empire, but then I realised how good it felt to ruin these people’s lives by using their own friends to destroy them. I lived for their demise, and I nearly came close to making that literal with the last one if his cousin hadn’t saved him at the last moment.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>They were all wearing expressions of shock, revulsion and fear and a few had actually backed away from her. Adrien, white-faced, had wrapped an arm around a trembling Marinette.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“And that was what I was trying to achieve here.”, Lila went on, a look of feral joy on her face. “Oh, you have no idea how much I was looking forward to the day when I broke Marinette Dupain-Cheng to the extent she took her own worthless life. But even though I didn’t succeed in that objective, I still broke her because I showed her her friends’ true faces. Your friendship was the most important thing to her and I took that away from her. The power of friendship, the power of love always so strong! Ha!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She was panting now, confessing all of this feeling so good. Marinette, her face buried in Adrien’s neck, let out a choked sob that was music to Lila’s ears. But when she looked her directly in the eyes, however, there were no tears. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Yes.”, Marinette replied. “Yes, you did show me the true faces of my friends. Before now, I had no idea………………… no idea how loyal, how brave, how selfless and how clever they were, and absolutely no idea how much they were willing to help and protect me from you.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>That…………….. was completely unexpected. Lila wondered if she’d caused her to mentally snap and was suffering a delusion.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You see, they didn’t actually believe that I was doing all those things to you.”, Marinette went on. “And then you accused me of having assaulted you when you were walking to school, despite me having been on the other side of the city at the time helping my dad with a delivery.”</p>
<p>“That’s when we started to smell a rat.”, Juleka said. “Who knew just how massive a stink this particular rat could make.”</p>
<p>“Indeed.”, Alya said. “And it got me curious because I knew where Marinette was, yet here you were saying she’d assaulted you five minutes before. And Marinette had been saying you were a liar, so that also got me thinking. I did what I should have done from the start and checked my sources instead of just brushing off my BFF. I checked you out, and what did I find? Nothing. Not a single piece of evidence to support your claims.”</p>
<p>“I even asked Prince Ali about you.”, Rose piped up, tears in her big blue eyes. “Nothing! He didn’t know who you were and every charity I called had never even heard of you! You lied about all those children you helped, all that money you raised! None of it was true!”</p>
<p>“And what am I supposed to do?”, Lila asked. “Cry you a river? Apologise for not being a bleeding heart fool like you?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Juleka let out a low growl like a tiger as she placed a comforting hand on Rose’s shoulder.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“But you know something funny, that’s not what we’re angry about.”, Alix said. “The lying we could have forgiven, in time. What was absolutely unforgivable, however, is the fact that you TRIED TO TURN US AGAINST MARINETTE AND BULLY HER TO DEATH!!!!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>At a little under four feet, Alix was the shortest person in the class. However, she held a personality that was giant-size and it was genuinely startling to hear such a loud yell emanate from such a short person.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I didn’t want to believe it of you.”, Alya said. “Aside from all the things you said you’d done, I didn’t want to believe it because I couldn’t fathom the idea of any person being so thoroughly vile. After the past three months, however, I think you could give Hitler a run for his money! You tried to ruin Marinette’s life because she was smart enough to see through your bullshit and caring enough to try and warn us even when we repeatedly ignored her. A lesser friend would have abandoned us to our fate. That’s why we stuck by her.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Lila laughed again; were they serious?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Stuck by her?”, she snorted. “You’ve been beating her up, teasing her and wrecking her stuff for three months. You’re worse than me.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>All of them grinning in unison at her was considerably unnerving, especially Max (whom the class had deemed to be “one lab accident away from becoming a supervillain.”) and Juleka (who’d recently gotten her front teeth sharpened and now resembled a vampire when she grinned).</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Actually, all of that was faked.”, Marinette said.</p>
<p>“W-What?”, Lila asked, completely stunned.</p>
<p>“Yep.”, Marinette replied. “An elaborate hoax to fool you into thinking you’d won when we were really engineering your downfall.”</p>
<p>“What downfall?”, Lila asked, still not getting it.</p>
<p>“MARKOV! LIGHTS ON!”, Max bellowed.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The auditorium lights blazed on, blinding Lila. When her eyesight recovered, she felt like her heart stopped. Every seat in the auditorium was filled by what looked like the entire school, all of them glaring at her with murderous intent. And sitting in the front row,  white-faced, arms folded and looking angrier than she’d ever seen her, was her mother. Flanking her were Mr. Damocles and Ms. Bustier, also looking scarily angry. Lila began to sweat.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Caught in our trap, Lila.”, Adrien crowed.</p>
<p>“You……….. You……..”, Lila spluttered.</p>
<p>“I told you, Lila. You shouldn’t hurt the people I care about.”, Adrien replied. “The moment I found out what you were trying to do to Marinette, I was all for hanging you.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Lila wanted to leap at them and attack, but her mother was now marching onto the stage, looking livid.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“So.”, she said in a dangerous voice. “So.”</p>
<p>“So what?”, Lila replied insolently. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>She quickly wished she hadn’t, for her mother exploded into a torrent of furious Italian.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“But, Mama, none of this is true!”, Lila protested. “They’re all under Hawk Moth’s spell! You musn’t-”</p>
<p>“SILENCE!”, shrieked Mrs. Rossi, so loudly that several lightbulbs blew. “You will not speak a single word unless I give permission, else you will sorely regret it!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Lila wisely decided to shut up.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“My anger at you in this present situation cannot be overstated.”, Mrs. Rossi said. “Not only have you been lying to me for MONTHS about your school being closed because of the akumas, you have been actively trying to bully a fellow student to suicide by using her classmates as unwilling puppets! And compounding that, you’ve done it to six other people from our former places of residence! I called that Frederick boy in Germany and he still needs therapy for what you did to him!”</p>
<p>“But, mama, he’s lying-!”, Lila began.</p>
<p>“DID I SAY YOU COULD SPEAK?!”, thundered Mrs. Rossi, shattering a few more bulbs. “BE SILENT OR BE SORRY!!!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Lila squeaked in fear and shut up again.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“The magnitude of trouble you are in also cannot be overstated.”, Mrs. Rossi continued. “In addition to the ordeals you put those poor young people through, the celebrities you’ve supposedly been hobnobbing with have caught wind of your little anecdotes. Perhaps you can start a new collection to mount on your wall, of restraining orders and lawsuits!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Lila’s eyes widened; lawsuits?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“But, mama, they can’t sue me!”, she protested. “I’ve got diplomatic immunity!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Mrs. Rossi snorted with enough force to kick up a cloud of dust.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“To quote that ridiculous American movie, it’s just been revoked!”, she snapped.</p>
<p>“You mean you’re going to leave me to the wolves?!”, Lila asked in horror.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Alix leaned over towards Max.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Question; when you were on your date with Kim at the zoo, was there a wolf enclosure?”, she asked in a carrying tone.</p>
<p>“Not that I can recall, but there was a panther, a bear and some lions.”, Max replied.</p>
<p>“Even better.”, Alix remarked.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Mrs. Rossi glanced at them, the expression on her face showing that the idea held some merit to her, before turning back to Lila.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I fully intend to have you punished, Lila.”, she said. “And before you go at it with the false tears and the accusations that I’m being a horrible mother, this is what proper parents do when their children misbehave.”</p>
<p>“But I haven’t done anything!”, Lila protested. “They were the ones who actually bullied her! Look, she’s covered in bruises from when Alya beat her up this morning!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She pointed and, sure enough, Marinette was still sporting a number of bruises. However, Marinette merely smirked.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What bruises?”, she asked.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Taking out a wipe, she rubbed it on the large purple shiner she was sporting on her left cheek……….. and it came away. It was make-up!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“W-W-Wha-?”, Lila babbled.</p>
<p>“Convincing, isn’t it?”, Marinette asked. “Juleka’s an artist when it comes to make-up.”</p>
<p>“I permanently cosplay as a vampire, so I have to be.”, Juleka replied.</p>
<p>“So every time you hinted to my friends that it was time for a little physical punishment, I would apply some fake bruises and blood and you were none the wiser.”, Marinette said.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Lila’s mind was boggled; the sheer absurdity of the trick was incomprehensible to her, that and her ego refused to allow her to admit she’d been fooled.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“But what about when Alix slammed you into the wall?”, she asked. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Marinette winced because that one had actually hurt, but Alix had misjudged her momentum and actually crashed into her instead of a convincing fake. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Sometimes it got a bit too real.”, Alix said. “Sorry, Marinette.”</p>
<p>“It’s OK, Alix.”, Marinette replied.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Lila was now casting about frantically for an excuse, and then she remembered the sketchbook.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“But what about when your sketchbook got destroyed?”, she asked with a hint of smug triumph. “That was no fake. I saw it torn to shreds, and with the most beautiful designs inside it too. Oh, boo hoo!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Marinette did look very upset there, but it was Nathaniel who spoke up next.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Another trick.”, he said. “We just took a spare sketchbook of her’s, filled it with a few nonsense scribbles and then tore it up.”</p>
<p>“I didn’t have to fake being devastated there.”, Marinette chimed in. “I was imagining that it was my actual designs being destroyed.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Lila was looking scandalised.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You’re all psychos!”, she cried.</p>
<p>“Oh, look who’s talking!”, Mylene exclaimed. “Pot calling the kettle black much?”</p>
<p>“Oh, shut up, you frumpy little tramp!”, Lila snarled.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>There were gasps from many of the observers and Lila took a few steps backwards as Ivan fixed her with a truly murderous look, his big hands clenched into bigger fists. Mylene, however, took the insult with scarcely a flinch.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Besides, you don’t have any proof that it was me who got you to do those things.”, Lila gloated.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She clearly still had not learned her lesson about tempting fate, because everyone whipped out their phones and held them up. Her voice began to issue from them.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“She said I was ugly! I’d like to see how she feels if it was said to her!”</p>
<p>“She pushed me into the lockers! I wish she could feel the same pain she caused me!”</p>
<p>“She stole my sketchbook of designs! I’d rather see them destroyed than used by her!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Real subtle manipulation, Lila. About as subtle as a brick through a plate-glass window. And if the class really were as dumb as she clearly believed them to be, it actually might have worked. As Lila was restrained with a pair of handcuffs helpfully provided by Sabrina, who refused to admit why she had them or where she’d gotten them, she managed to get one last question out.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“If you knew what I was trying to do, why the hell did you engage in this sick mind game?”, she demanded. “Why fake bullying Marinette?”</p>
<p>“Because we knew if you saw that we weren’t doing it, you’d do it yourself.”, Alya replied. “And unlike us, it wouldn’t be pretend or faked.”</p>
<p>“And given what you were basically ordering us to do to Marinette, it would have seen her hospitalised, crippled or even killed.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Mrs. Rossi left the stage to speak with the police officers who had just arrived, leaving Lila alone with her former classmates.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You think you’ve won?”, she spat. “Think again. I’ll get out of this just like I always have, and when I do I’ll be coming after all of you.”</p>
<p>“Do your worst, Florent!”, Max retorted.</p>
<p>“What?”, Lila asked, wrong-footed.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>They raised their eyebrows before exchanged looks of mixed disgust and annoyance.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“She doesn’t know Game of Thrones.”, Ivan said. “Why did we befriend her in the first place?”</p>
<p>“So uncivilised.”, Nathaniel sniffed disdainfully.</p>
<p>“That’s Star Wars.”, Max told him.</p>
<p>“Star Wars has a line for everything.”, Nathaniel replied.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Adrien advanced on Lila, who felt horribly vulnerable all of a sudden.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“To educate you, the Florents are a noble house in Game of Thrones who, despite having a fox symbol, are far less cunning and subtle than they believe themselves to be, as well as constantly overreaching themselves in plots that ultimately win them little gain, desire power and influence they feel entitled to but do not deserve and unable to let go of grudges for rather petty reasons, which sums you up perfectly. But us? We are Starks, the wolves, the pack that survives by staying together. And when you mess with the wolves, you get the fangs.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He growled at her, a sound that had Marinette swooning in wonder; seeing Adrien angry on her behalf and standing up for her was very stimulating.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Now get out of here, and never return.”, Adrien went on. “And if you ever show your face around here again, or go after Marinette, then you’ll have all of us to deal with once again.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Lila never did take him seriously, but it didn’t matter. As part of her sentence she was subjected to heavy psychiatric evaluation, which diagnosed her with Anti-Social Personality Disorder, or as a high-functioning psychopath. She was able to fake empathy and regret, but could not actually feel them and in the presence of experts who knew the difference, she was astounded to find herself committed to a secure facility for a period of 20 years at minimum rather than released with a full apology for imprisoning a sweet, innocent and helpless girl. All of her attempts to manipulate the staff fell completely short, as they were trained to be vigilant and resistant to such things, and she would spend the rest of her life in various facilities, all the while plotting revenge on everyone she felt had wronged her. The one thing that consoled her was the fact that she had left such a mark on her victims that they would be haunted by her for the rest of their lives, but this was a vain hope. Time heals all wounds, after all, and though the trauma lingered, Lila’s name and face faded from their memories. She was forgotten, like she had never existed in the first place. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>==================================================================</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I promised a unique take on the typical salt fic and I can only hope I delivered.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Drawing on previous details used in "Crumbling Down", I made it so that Lila has tried those same tactics against people in the past and pushed them to the brink like she's trying to do with Marinette, phrasing it in a way that Lila did not initially realise how far she could go with it and once she did, she was actually enthralled by it. She wants power, above all, and the ability to manipulate people against others to the extent that she could control their very life and death (by making the bullying so bad that they try to kill themselves) would be the ultimate power for her. But the more you slip into evil, the more you lose yourself and your rationality. It's like the dark side in Star Wars, when Sith cut loose with their powers and their emotions; it makes them very dangerous and deadly, but also more prone to mistakes and lapses in judgement that the heroes can exploit.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Lila does seem to get progressively more evil with every story I write, which isn't exactly an intentional thing but a natural flow of my writing.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I hope I hit the details correctly with the class. When they realised they were being manipulated at first, they were angry but thought that Lila was just insecure and awkward and didn't know how to make friends effectively. When Lila not only kept up the manipulation but tried to use it to get them to hurt Marinette, they realised what she was truly up to and resolved to take her down. Marinette and Adrien were the ones who came up with the plot, having been inspired by the cut-throat manipulations present in Game of Thrones and Star Wars, with Marinette acting as a kind of sacrificial lamb. She would pretend to be hurt and injured by the others in order to prevent Lila from actually hurting her, whilst they would record Lila not-so-subtly encouraging them to harm Marinette in retaliation for whatever she'd supposedly done to her. It might seem a bit off-the-wall, but Marinette does come up with the most convoluted, elaborate and surreal plans. </p>
<p>In regards to the bit about House Florent, they are a noble house from the Reach and ever since Aegon's Conquest, they have been resentful of the fact that House Tyrell were named the rulers of the Reach over them since they possess a (claimed) superior blood link to the former rulers House Gardener, who were wiped out by the Targaryens for resisting them. House Tyrell were the stewards for the Gardeners, but they surrendered the castle and the Reach whilst House Florent resisted, so they were appointed as rulers. House Florent have resented this ever since and been plotting to overthrow the Tyrells, but have consistently failed and proven themselves far less cunning than the fox on their banners would suggest. Lila might have some fox-like charm and cunning, but not nearly as much as she thinks and in a way that ultimately ends up backfiring on her. House Florent aligned with Stannis in defiance of House Tyrell and found themselves attainted and stripped of their lands, titles, castle and positions, which were all fairly secure. Their own ambition and grudge doomed them.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Next installment will involve CONSEQUNECES' first akumatisation. I do love a good dose of Reality Ensues dooming Lila.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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